If you still labor under the delusion that the airlines are your friends, today’s Washington Post has some news for you: the airlines are not only not your friends, they are actively your enemies.

Here’s what happened: an amendment that would have set minimum seat room on planes was narrowly defeated by a committee in the House of Representatives. The amendment failed largely thanks to Republicans — do they ever do anything that supports the interests of anyone who isn’t at least a millionaire? — supported by lobbyists for the airlines.

A representative for the airlines said the government shouldn’t be getting into such matters because they should be left to “market forces.” In other words, left up to the airlines, who for years now have been ignoring pleas from the flying public for more leg room and wider seats. The airlines are making money hand over fist by squeezing more seats into less along with imposing dozens of new fees and keeping fares high.

The airlines don’t care about the wishes of the flying public. (Oops, my mistake: if you are rich and can spend unlimited funds for first class seats, they do have some interest.) They really could care less about safety and health of their passengers, else they would examine closely the problems of evacuation that are heightened with tight seating as well as the health issues that arise from forced cramped seating.

Also, that same committee, led by Republicans, approved a proposal to allows airlines to publicize their lowest fares without any reference to taxes and other mandatory fees. In other words, this measure would reverse existing rules that force the airlines to disclose up front ALL their charges. Guess those airline lobbyists did their work well.

Taken together these two actions are repulsive. They show this particular big business at its greediest and most self-serving. Sort of like those drug companies that unilaterally set their own ridiculously high prices for drugs. Simply put, it is time — it’s way beyond time — for drug companies and the airlines to feel the wrath of justified federal attention. And while we’re at it, it’s past time for voters all across this country to show the Republicans for what they are: a group of well-off politicians who disdain those who do not share their wealth.

And, of course, we ought to reflect on lobbyists, too, for our democracy has for too long been shamed by their out-sized influence on the course of government. But that’s a subject for a much longer discussion on another day.